Former Jacksonville Jaguars Assistant Puts Down Blaine Gabbert

By Joey Farbo

Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

It is amazing the things people will say when they know their name will not be attached to it.

One former Jacksonville Jaguars assistant coach told Mike Silver of Yahoo.com that quarterback Blaine Gabbert did not have a sterling reputation inside the team facility. According to the former Jaguars coach, Gabbert had earned the nickname “Blame Gabbert” because nothing was ever his fault.

There is plenty to critique Gabbert for as far as his play on the field, which has been less than stellar over his first two seasons, but it would be troubling if he was also unpopular among his teammates as well. The fact that these quotes are coming from an anonymous former coach though should raise some questions as to their validity.

While it has been well known that there have been questions about Gabbert’s intangibles since he came into the league, there have never really been any indications that he has not been willing to be held accountable for his mistakes until now. While there is probably a grain of truth in what the anonymous former Jaguars assistant is saying, there is probably a bit of embellishment from a guy who is likely slightly bitter for losing his job.

Regardless of what former Jaguars decision makers have to say about Gabbert, the new decision makers in place seem more than willing to give him another shot to prove his worth as a franchise quarterback. New Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell has said that Gabbert will be part of an open competition in training camp that will give him every opportunity to win the Jaguars starting job in 2013.

If he cannot win the job from whoever the Jaguars decide to bring in to compete with him, he will have nobody to blame but himself.